Archive: Around Town

When you think of Kickstarter campaigns you think of nifty high-tech gadgets attracting techie-boys who love their toys to help finance the next great thing.  But two Lansing women are using it to launch something much gentler: a Hanukkah story and game called 'The Gelt Giving Golem'.  The product will include a boxed illustrated book and a plush toy golem used to play a game over the eight days of Hanukkah.

"It's the story of a character that I created called the 'Hanukkah Golem', who gives a piece of gelt to little children each night of Hanukkah when he witnesses good behavior the day before," says author Carolyn Greenwald.  "The purpose of the story is to allow Jewish children to participate in a tradition that's been very popular on Christmas, where there is an elf watching children's' behavior every day and then reporting back to Santa Claus."

Photo by Suan YongWith all the talk in Lansing about sewer and development, one housing development quietly went up in two of Lansing's natural areas last weekend. The Lansing Pathways Committee has partnered with the Cayuga Bird Club to provide homes for a variety of birds on Salt Point and along town trails.  A large number of nesting boxes were installed that will attract Eastern Screech Owls, merganzers, chichkadees, wren, swallows, Kestrels, and blue birds on Salt Point, and a blue birds at the Lansing Center Trail with an Eastern Screech Owl box in the adjacent woodlands.

"We were able to install all of the bird nesting boxes at Salt Point and the Lansing Center Trail this weekend," says biologist Candace Cornell.  "At Salt Point on Saturday a group of 14 volunteers from the Cayuga Bird Club and Pathways put up:  7 bluebird, 2 screech owl, 1 chickadee, 2 kestrel, and 2 wren nesting boxes.  Then the group headed up to the Lansing Center Trail and installed 10 bluebird boxes along the trail.  On Sunday, five of us went back to the Lansing Center Trail and finished putting up the last 5 bluebird boxes and 1 screech owl box.  Therefore, the LCT now has 15 bluebird boxes along the trail!  The screech owl box is high up on a tree along the Short Line Spur in the wooded area at the north end."

Since mid-2012, Tompkins County residents have been able to recycle their food scraps for free at the Recycling and Solid Waste Center (RSWC) in Ithaca.  Now, there are more opportunities to participate, including a second drop-off location and access to a free toolkit to get started.

Food scraps recycling will play an integral role in working towards a goal of 75% waste diversion by 2016 in Tompkins County. Currently, 60% of waste generated within the County is diverted from the landfill.  Materials collected through the food scraps recycling program are processed locally at Cayuga Compost in Trumansburg.

Are you looking for a bouncy, playful, and spirited new best friend? If so, look no further! My name's Blondie, and I'm the most adorable, energetic girl you'll ever meet! I came to this shelter when my owner moved out of state to a place that wouldn't allow dogs. I came in together with Bogart, another dog, but he's really the only dog that I got along with. According to my previous owner, I liked to chase cats, so I probably should go to a feline-free home. I would love to be in a home where I can get plenty of exercise and positive attention. Because of my high energy level, I shouldn't go to a home with young children. I'm the best coonhound mix you'll find! Did you know that coonhounds are some of the most loyal and loving dogs out there? At 2 years young, I deserve a great forever home. Come meet me today!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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Aurora, New York—Wells College is pleased to announce the approval of six new academic minors in the fields of business, criminal justice, graphic design, environmental science, sustainability, and sustainable food systems. Current students will have the ability to declare these minors immediately, and incoming students can plan their academic experience to include one or two of the minors in addition to their chosen major. The six new minors will be added to the list of 38 minors already offered by the College; they were passed by Wells’ faculty at a meeting early this month.

“By adding minor offerings in these areas, Wells is responding to her students’ interests and directions for their professional lives” said Provost and Dean of the College Cindy Speaker. “And with an increasing need for professionals who are knowledgeable and skilled in more than one area, we are committed to giving our students additional opportunities for cohesive educational programs.”

Currently, the SPCA of Tompkins County is caring for hundreds of cats and kittens, dogs and puppies. Kittens (we still have many!) and many adult cats especially need canned food.

The SPCA urgently needs both canned cat and dog food! We are asking our friends in the community to donate pate-style canned cat food and any style canned dog food to the shelter as soon as possible.

Lansing United Methodist Church (LUMC) kicked off its 50th anniversary celebration last Sunday with a visit from the Bishop, a conversation with its founders, and a concert that featured an extended choir of 56 singers.  The church, perched on a hill overlooking the Lansing schools and Cayuga Lake, was the result of a merger between five smaller Lansing and churches.  Part of the reason for the merger was that the churches shared one minister.  But there were other reasons as well.

"Most of the churches were built in the horse and buggy days, so our churches needed to be close to where we lived," said Phyllis Howell.  "When we began to think about joining the churches together was the possibility that at this point everybody had cars and it was not a hardship to do so.  And of course the condition of the churches was part of the consideration of why we needed a new church.  It was the wisdom of those people who were in charge of those churches, a miracle that they could come together."

Hi, I'm Marley - the sweetest guy you'll ever meet! A nice person brought me to the shelter after I had been wandering around Trumansburg looking for a new forever person. I've been told that I'll have better luck finding a best friend at this shelter -- hope they're right! I'm an all around good guy and am ready to be my new person's most loyal companion. When you sit down, I'll jump right into your lap. If you're having a bad day, I'll sit next to you and share some purrs with you. If you're excited, I'll run around and play with you! At six years young, I have a full lifetime to be your best friend. The staff at the SPCA told me that I have something called FIV, but they say that I can live a completely normal life with it. I'll just have to be an indoor only kitty in my new home because I'm more likely to get sick. I also should be your only cat so other cats can't spread their germs to me. That's okay though, as I have so much personality that you won't need more than just me! Come meet me today and give me a second chance at life - I deserve it!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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	Grey Larison of North Lansing, served in the Air Force in World War II.  He is one of the only remaining WWII veterans living in Lansing.

Syracuse based SRC, Inc. honored all remaining WWII veterans with a free gift flight to Washington D.C. to view all war memorials.   I was able to join this honored group, organized by the VA Hospital in Syracuse.

The U.S. Airways aircraft, chartered for the day, left Hancock Airport about 7 am, into a clear sky with 64 veterans and Guardians we chose to bring with us aboard.  Within an hour it landed at Reagan Airport in Washington, D.C., where the flight was greeted by hundreds of D.C. citizens,  screaming and cheering.

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	A few years ago, my heart stopped functioning properly. A cardiac artery was blocked, and I felt some strange and scary symptoms. The blockage was relieved with a stent, and the hospital that installed it included a detailed lecture to all such patients. They don’t want to see us again. Heeding that information has kept me healthy, and I want to share what I’ve learned.

Veggies and vegans, stand down this time. Today’s column is about meat. I have some new information.

As you know if you’ve been reading this irregular column, we with heart disease, sclerosis, bypasses, and stents must avoid saturated fats to avoid repeat visits to the hospital. This puts all forms of beef off limits, even the leanest burger meat, and even bison. Ditto for all forms of pork. Remember, that means bacon, too.

We’re left with breast of turkey and breast of chicken. This can get boring. But hark, help is on the way. We must think outside the box, the big box store, that is. Lansing Market, thanks to yours truly and Sandro, the manager, stocks rabbit in the frozen food case. It’s local, fresh, really delicious, and packaged more attractively than the hideous, freezer burned carcasses Wegmans used to get from Arkansas. You can look up one of my rabbit recipes in an earlier column — just type Hale and Hearty in the search box — or, if you’re any kind of a cook, just treat it more or less as if it were pot roast: cut it up, shake it in seasoned flour, brown it in canola oil, and simmer it for two or more hours in water with hominy, Basmati rice, couscous, or barley. An ideal slow cooker meal to come home to.

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The SPCA of Tompkins County announced its 4th Annual March for the Animals raised a record breaking $115,000, higher than the previous record in 2012. 225 people (forming 53 teams), 150 dogs, and 2 cats came to the March on September 28th after spending anywhere from a day to six months raising money for the medical care of SPCA of Tompkins County sheltered animals.

Jim Bouderau, executive director, says “How can I thank everyone enough? From our amazing corporate sponsors who set their own records for doubling our sponsorships to donors who brought and sent in huge checks for the March, to our top fundraising teams and individuals -- the list goes on and on for folks who went the extra mile to make this event a huge success!”

Woodsedge Apartments residents joined the Lansing Housing Authority (LHA) and CRM Rental Management for a special birthday celebration Saturday that marked the facility's 30th year in operation.  It also marked the official opening of a new full-sized elevator on the property.  After a ribbon cutting long-time residents joined LHA (Lansing Housing Authority) Chairman George Gesslein on the ceremonial first ride to the second floor.  CRM Rental Management's Davis Yohe says the elevator is only the latest example of how the community supports the elder housing facility.

"The commitment and attention that the Lansing Housing Authority board pays to the property and the quality of life for the residents is truly outstanding," says CRM Rental Management's Davis Yohe.  "That's the same thing that CRM wants, so it's a good team.  In carrying out CRM's role of managing the day to day operations and maintaining the building with the commitment of the Lansing Housing Authority Board has made for a very successful property.  It's a property that USDA Rural Development tells us is one of the best of its properties in upstate New York."